Support for musical instruments



Feb. 3, 1931. J w, c D 1,791,088

SUPPORT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed April 28, 1928 1 Jase 0k Wg'l aomede Patented Feb. 3, 1931 PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH W. NICOMEDE, 0F ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA SUPPORT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Application filed April 28, 1928. Serial'No. 273,591.

My invention relates to supports adapted to be adjustably secured to the articles with which they are used, by frictional contact therewith, so that they can be attached therei to without cutting or boring, or otherwise marring the articles, and without the use of screws or other fastening devices.

In the present application I have shown my device as used in connection with a banjo to form a supporting frame inside the head of the banjo for electric light bulbs or any other apparatus or devices designed to cooperate therewith, or with the banjo head.

A leading feature of the invention consists of two frames disposed parallel With each other and provided with adjustable means for spreading the two frames apart to bring them into forcible frictional contact with the inner walls of the banjo head.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a banjo head, and;

Fig. 2 a bottom plan viewof the same, showing'one of my supporting frames inside thereof.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a hoop, or any circular body like a banjo head, reinforced by brace rods, and shows one of the spreading rods of mydevice with its central U-shaped portion straddling the brace rods in order to permit the insertion of the two sections of the frame into the head, thus disclosing one point of utility in the U-shaped bends of said rods.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale,of my supporting frame removed from the banjo head; and,

Fig. 5 is a view on an enlarged scale of one of my spreading or adjusting rods.

Referring further to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a banjo head; and 2, the hoop portion thereof. 3 and 4 are rectangular frames formed preferably of wood and held spaced from each other by the adjusting rods 5, bent at their centres to form the U-shaped sections 5a.

The ends of these rods, from the U-shaped sections outwardly, are threaded, and provided with inner and outer adjusting nuts 6 and 7 respectively, which are designed to suitably follow each other in the adjusting process, and which act against each other on the inner and outer sides of the frames, like jamb-nuts.

In order that the frames may be as light as possible, and may yet be held in firm and a rigid engagement with the brace rods, I provide the reinforcing blocks 8 at the inner corners of the rectangular frames, so that the rods 5 pass through said blocks.

The banjo head with which the device is w here shown in use, is provided in a well known manner with the brace rods 9 and 10 (Figs. 2 and 3). It is principally onaccount of havin to straddle these two rods that the adjusting rods 5 are provided at; their middle portions with the U-shaped sections 5a; so that when my device is to be used with an instrument that does not have brace rods or other parts to be straddled, the adjusting rods 5 of my support may be made straight. However, the U-shaped sections 5a perform other functions in addition to straddling the brace rods 9 and 10, one of which functions will now be pointed out. When the nuts 6 and 7 are being manipulated: to spread the sections 3 and 4 into binding engagement with the hoop of the banjo head, these bent sections 5a prevent the rods from rotating appreciably, so that said nuts can be conveniently screwed up very tight, or unscrewed, whenever occasion requires.

In Fig. 2 I have shown my device used for supporting two electric bulbs 11 and 12 which render the inside of the banjo head light, so that a certain degree of luminosity is imparted to the taut rawhide'cover of the front side of the banjo head, and is apparent when the same is observed from the outside. These bulbs are connected together by an electric cord 13, which in turn is COHHGCtG-fr with a cord 14 which leads to an electric socket or battery, or other source of electrical power.

The outer corners of the rectangular frames 3 and 4 which are spread into forcible engagement with the hoop 2 of the banjo.

head, are slightly rounded, as indicated at 15, to prevent said corners from possibly marring the finish on said hoop at the points of contact.

At the outer ends of the wires 1d are the electric connections 16 for engagement with extension wires leading on to an electric light socket or to other source of electric power, such as a battery or the like.

The operation or". my device is exceedingly simple. The frames 3 and 4 are received onto the threaded ends of the connecting rods 5, and are rigidly held in adjusted positions thereon by the opposing nuts 6 and 7. By a proper manipulation of these nuts the frames can be forced apart till their rounded outer corners 15 are brought into binding frictional engagement with the hoop 2 of the banjo head, so that the device will be firmly held in engagement therewith. It is apparent that the frames can be adjusted up and down to bring them into the desired relation to the taut rawhide cover of the banjo head before the nuts are forced to their final positions. The frames must, of course, always be held far enough from said rawhide cover not to affect its resonance.

The only tool that is necessary to manipulate the frame, is a little wrench for rota ing the nuts 6 and 7 This wrench is so small that it may be carried conveniently in the vest pocket. If when the nuts 6 and 7 are being tightened up, the rods 3 start to rotate, the central U-shaped portions 5a quickly come either into contact with the banjo head or with one of the brace rods 9 or 10, and are thereby prevented from further rotation.

When it is desired to remove the frames 3 and 4 from the banjo head, the U-shaped portions 5a permit the desired one of said frames to be sufficiently elevated as shown in Fig. 3, to permit the outward movement of said frame off the rods 5 when the nuts 7 have been removed.

From the foregoing, the further details of operation are apparent. It is also apparent that when the device is used with an instrument not having brace rods such as 9 and 10, that then the U-shaped bends in the connecting rods 5 can be disepensed with if desired, and straight rods used in their place. How ever, in this connection, attention is called to the following consideration which is not apparent at first sight, namely :that if the nuts 6 and 7 are carelessly manipulated, (as will sometimes be the case), in a way to impose excessive strain on the frames 3 and t and through them on the hoop of the banjo head, the U-shaped sections 5a will begin to yield and act like springs to relieve such eX- cessive strain. Thus the strain imposed on the device can never be made to exceed the power of the yielding resistance of the U- shaped bends 5a.

Since the frames 3 and 4 of my device, as

well as the hoops of many musical instruments, are often made of wood which has a tendency to come and go with the weather, this method afforded by my construction for automatically regulating the strain imposed upon my device, and through it on the musical instrument itself, is a feature not to be overlooked.

By reason of the adj ustability of the two parts of my device relatively to each other, the same sized device can be used in instruments of varying sizes; so that only one standard size of the device will be required for ordinary purposes.

Having now described my invention, and shown one method of applying it in actual practice, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a musical instrument having a hoop, the combination with the hoop of a brace-rod extending across the same; a pair of frames disposed one on each side of said brace-rod and parallel therewith; a pair of connecting rods for the frames; and means carried by said rods for adjustably spreading the frames apart in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal extent of the brace-rod, whereby to bring them into binding engagement with the sides of the hoop on opposite sides of the brace-rod.

2. The combination with a stringed musical instrument having a circular portion with a brace rod extending across the inside of the same, of a support adapted to be received inside said circular portion of the instrument, said support comprising a pair of frames, one on each side of said brace rod; a pair of connecting rods for engaging said frames and holding them in spaced relation to each other, said connecting rods being pro vided with intermediate bent sections for straddling said brace rod, said connecting rods being also provided with means for forcibly spreading said frames apart to bring them into forcible engagement with the op posing sides of the circular portion of the instrument on opposite sides of the brace rod; whereby to establish a firm frictional engagement between the frames and the instrument, to hold the support on the instrument.

3. The combination with the interior of the hoop portion of a banjo head, of a pair of opposing frames on diametrically opposite sides of the hoop; and a pair of connecting rods for holding said frames in spaced rela tion to each other, said rods having alined end sections provided with screw threads and nuts for holding said frames in adjusted relation to each other, said rods being also provided with intermediate U-shaped sections of suflicient length to prevent them from rotating in the banjo hoop when the nuts are adjusted on their threaded ends.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a pair of frames adapted to be received in the hollow portion of a musical instrument by which they are to be supported; and resilient connections between said frames for yieldingly pressing them into forcible engagement with the inside of the said hollow portion of the instrument.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a pair of frames adapted to be received inside the hollow portion of a musical instrument by which they are to be supported; resilient connections between said frames; and means carried by said connections for adjusting the frames toward and from each other whereby to vary the resilient force exerted on the frames, for pressing the same into engagement with the walls of said hollow portion.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a pair of frames provided with means for supporting lights, and adapted to be received in the hollow portion of a musical instrument by which they are to be supported; and resilient connections between said frames for yieldingly pressing them into forcible engagement with the inside of said hollow portion of the instrument.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOSEPH W. NICOMEDE. 

